Marvel fans have responded to Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom, and many wish that Cillian Murphy was given the role instead. Murphy starred alongside RDJ in Oppenheimer, and some fans have suggested that the Irish actor would have been a better fit for Avengers: Doomsday.
RDJ’s double-casting in the MCU has been controversial. Tony Stark and Iron Man’s death in Avengers: Endgame was a dramatic send-off for the character, and many feel that Downey returning will ruin it. The jury’s still out on if RDJ’s return will be a success, but fans on X (formerly Twitter) have expressed disappointment that Murphy wasn’t given the role.
Why Cillian Murphy is trending over Doctor Doom ‘snub’
Cillian Murphy began trending after fans suggested that he would have been a better fit for Doctor Doom. Disney has never publicly linked Murphy to Doom, but there were rumors he was Marvel’s top choice for the role. Back in 2023, MyTimeToShineHello — a leaker previously responsible for many accurate MCU leaks — stated that Murphy was in-line to portray the villain.
Robert Downey Jr. being given the role has now resulted in X users pointing out Murphy’s supposed snub, although it hasn’t been confirmed if the Peaky Blinders actor was even in the running for it.
Murphy was previously asked if he was interested in portraying Doctor Doom. In an interview on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, he spoke about if he would play the villain, replying that it was “always about the script.” This answer caused many to speculate that he could join the MCU as the villain, but it seems these rumors have now been dispelled.
Still, there’s no saying that Cillian Murphy won’t join the MCU in the future. There are also question marks surrounding whether or not Robert Downey Jr. will portray the Victor von Doom version of the character, or if we’ll instead see the debut of an evil Tony Stark. If this is the case, then maybe there’s still space for a Cillian von Doom in the future.
